Exhibiting and vending machine.



No. 708,687. v Patented Sept. 9, |902.

D. MCL. WiNANS. EXHIBITING AND VENUING MAGHINE.

(Application filed Nov.v27, 1899. Renewed May 26, 1902.) A (No Model.) ISheets-Sheet No. 708,687. Patented Sept. 9, |902. y

n. McL. wmANs. EXHIBITING AND VENDING MACHINE.

l (Application filed Nov. 27, 1899. Renewed May 26, 1902.)

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No. 708,687. Patented Sept. 9, i902.

D. MCL. wlrmws, `EXHIBITING AND VENDING MACHINE.

(Applica'tion filed Nov. 27, 1899. Renewed May 26,1902.)

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tUNfrraD "STATES PATENT CFFICE.

DANIEL'MCLEOD WINANs, vor BINGHAMTON', -NEW YORK, AssIeNoR To ALBERT L. WEAVER,Y or NEW vonk, N. Y.

EXHIBITING AND'VEND'ING MACHINE. p

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,687, dated September 9, l1902.

Original application filed September 14, 1899. Serial No. 730,484.. Divided and this application led November 27, 1899. Mayr 26,1902. Serial No. 108,970'. (No model.)

To all whom zit-weary concern:

Be it known that-I, DANIEL MCLEOD WI- NANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county of-Broome and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exhibiting and Vending Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a device and apparatus for exhibiting and vending merchandise articles, and more especially to that class of devices in which a conveyer-belt is employed for the' withdrawal of articles, suchy as cigars, from'a box in a manner to display and advance them to a point of delivery; and said invention consists, essentially, of-an intermittently-rotated delivery-drum that is provided with suitable pockets arranged in operative relation with a rearwardly-extending cooperating rotary band or endless conveyer that is stretched and journaled over a flat pivoted rectangular carrier-frame, thereby forming a sort of swinging blade that is intended to be introduced in a flatwise manner into the bottom of a cigar-box when the end thereof has been removed. to project the length of said box and provide a movable bearing-surface nearly the width 0f said box that is in operative withdrawal relation to the undermost layer of cigars packed in said box. l

The invention has for its principal object to produce a machine of the type referred to that automatically delivers a cigar directly from the original package or box containing them without requiring the package of the conveyer means with the cigars at the factory and which will permit of Athe positive withdrawal of the cigars therefrom and their delivery when my improved conveyer means is arranged in operative withdrawal relation therewith.

That my invention may be better understood I' have illustrated in the accompanying drawings one form of embodiment thereof, without intending, however, to limit my in- Renewed ventionin its usefulness lto the exact embodiment which I have shown.

In the drawings, Figurel represents in perspective a one-case compartment containing a box of cigars as arranged for vending according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the same with the cover removed, whileFig. 3 represents in side elevation, with cover removed and in full length, said machine vwhen, combined with a cigarbox arranged in vending relation therewith. Fig. 4 representsV in cross-section on lines w n: of Fig. 2 a side elevation of said machine. Fig. 5 represents in perspective the rocking gate.

Like characters indicate several .gures The reference-number 7 in said drawings indicates the machine-case, which is preferably constructed of wood and glass. The general shape thereof is rectangular, while a movable cover 8 is provided that has on its like parts in the top a heavy transparent glass 9 to allow for the proper display of the cigars'lO, which are exposed to view in 'the original package or box 11 in a show-case fashion, thereby af-I fordin g an opportunity for the oiiicial inspection of the' original cigar box` or package by vthe internal-revenueoiiicials to disclose to them the capacity of the box and to make observable that the tax-stamp and caution-notice required to'be affixed by law'has been complied with without necessitating the unlocking and opening of the case. The box to be used in the case is the ordinary commercial cigar-box and'which is packed with cigars at the factory in the -usual manner and from which the end may be removed to providenan exit for the withdrawal of the cigars'when placed in operative position with. relation to the withdrawal apparatus within said case. Such'a case may be employed separately in vending cigars, or several of .them may be arranged in a series to form one large sh ow-case for displaying a variety of brands of cigars to aord a price, color, and size selection; but for the purposes of this invention it will bei sufficient-,to describe the same as employed in connection with a single case.

The cover S is also provided on its top front portion or ledge with a coin-mouthpiece 12, that alines with the entrance of the coin-chute 13, arranged within the case, while the front end of the cover is provided with a vertically-disposed slotted portion 14, that is of suflicient height to allow for the up-and-down play of the main actuating lever or handle 15.

An apron or trough-piece 16 is secured above the front base portion of the machine and is adapted to extend at a suitable incline to a point where it is conterminous with the radical wings of a delivery-drum, to be hereinafter described, and which is adapted to receive the cigar after it has been dropped out in such a manner as not to break the wrapper of the cigar.

17 represents the rectangular-shaped metal box or framework which is mounted on and secured to the base 18 and which carries and contains the operating mechanism and which provides between its side walls or plates 19 and 20 an open way 2l, through which the articles to be vended are made to progressively travel. In the forward part of this box or framework and carried at a proper height above the delivery-apron is a fender-plate 22, which spans the way and which is provided with supporting-brackets 23 and 24 for joining with screw-bolts 24a to the side plates of of the box, respectively. Arranged at a suitable distance back of the fender-plate is the horizontally disposed rotatable deliverydrum 25, that is provided with pockets 26 on its periphery and which is mounted rigidly on the shaft 27, that extends transversely across the way and which is sustained in suitable bearings in the side plates of said box. The pockets or lon gitudinally-disposed receptacles maybe xnadein various ways; butI have illustrated pockets formed from narrow strips of metal bent and cnt to form concave wings 28, that are arranged and secured in a radial relation to said drum.

Mounted on the axis 27 between the drum and the side plate 20 is rigidly secured a ratchet-wheel 29, having teeth 30 in its periphery at regular intervals, which are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 31, carried by the adjacent upright portion of the rocking clearing gate 32, thereby providing for said gate a rocking motion, as well as holding the drum against the retrograde movement.

Arranged adjacent to the receiving side of the delivery-drum and in a feeding relationt'. 6"., projecting on a line that will admit of the conveyance of articles to the pockets of the delivery-drum-is the rearwardly-extending rotary band or endless belt 62, that is intended to advance progressively forward to the ldelivery drum. This endless belt is stretched and folded over a rectangularshaped carrier-frame 63, that comprises a pair of thin flat metal arms 64, arranged in parallelism and connected at their extremities by a like thin cross-piece 65, all lying in the same plane. This frame is pivoted at its inner end on a horizontally-arranged shaft or axis 66, the trunnion ends of which are journaled in spring-held bearing blocks or boxes 67, located, respectively, in the recesses or slots 68, formed in the wall-plates of the box and which are capable of longitudinal adjustment. The belt when in position passes over the guiding-roller 69 at the extremity of the frame, while the inner enlarged end of the belt passes over the driving roller or pulley 70. It is important that there should be no slipping of the endless conveyer, and to this end there is mounted adjacent to the forward end of the belt and in horizontal parallelism behind the pulley 70 the idler presser-roller'71, which, in conjunction with the adjustable tensionblocks 67,acts as take-ups to maintain the belt always in a taut or stretched condition. The belt is made, preferably, of felt material and when arranged in connection with the carrier-frame forms a thin blade that may be raised and lowered by hand to suitable inclinations or levels and which may be thrust into the bottom of a cigar-box packed with cigars, so as to lie in operative contact with the undermost layer of cigars, and thereby feed them forward out of said box to the delivery-drum. Travel is imparted to the conveyer-belt from the wheel 33 through the intermediate gear wheel 72 and pinions 73, which are in train therewith, while said pinion 73 is made fast on the pulley-shaft 70a.

Extending transversely across the way above the forward end of the conveyer-belt, where it engages the pulley 70, and immediately adjacent to the receiving side Vof the delivery-drum, there is disposed a verticallymovable rocking (clearing) gate 32, that comprises a pair of uprights 74 and 75, that project normally between the ends of the pulley 70 and the respective walls of the box and which are indented or offset, as shown at 75a, to allow of their rearward swing to a point where they contact with the trunnions of the shaft 70a. These uprights are sustained by theirbifurcated ends, which rest upon the trunnions 77, that project horizontally from the inner faces near the bottom portions of the wall-plates, and the gate is held yieldingly in such pivotal relation by the down pull of the spring 7S, which connects with the upright and is anchored, as shown in Fig. 4. The upright' 75 is provided on its forward edge with an integral projection or pawl 3l, that engages with the teeth 30 of the ratchet-wheel 29 to cause when actuated the rocking of said uprights to and fro. The uprights are connected at their top portions by the cross-piece 76, which spans the way and which extends downward toward the plane of the conveyerbelt sulhciently to form a passage-way of a height that will allow of the feeding of cigars therethrough only in a single layer, while the cigars that have been drawn to that point and which tend to pile up are gently pushed back,

IIO

controlled mechanism andwhieh forms a part j of my pending application, Serial No. 730,484, led September 14, 1899, of which this is a ldivision, and which mechanism is `herein briefly described in order to disclose the use of the general combination in acomplete and operative commercial machine. The means for operating saiddrum is located principally on the outer face of the side plate 19, as shown in Fig. 3. Upon the same shaft 27with the delivery-drum and upon the portion thereof that extends outwardly beyond said plate is rigidly mounted the spur gear-wheel 33, while at the extreme end of said shaft'is pivotally mounted a spring-controlled main-actuating bell-crank lever 15. Through the instrumentality of this lever and the coin-actuated companion lever 34 the ratchet gear-wheel 33 controls the forward rotation ofthe deliverydrum. As it is essential to the proper and consecutive working of the vender that the drum shall be rotated a distance of one pocket every time a determinate c oin is dropped into the `chute and the main-actuating lever is depressed a predetermined distance, I provide in operative relation therewith the following mechanism: The longer arm 35 of the main actuating bell-crank lever 15 extends at a suitable angle through the slotted plate 36 to a point where it projects in front of the case to form a handle or finger that is Within convenient reach of the operating purchaser-.

The range of vertical movement of this handle is normally controlled by the length and disposition of the vertical slot 37 in the plate 36, while the coil-spring 3S, arranged in opposition to said handle 15 and attached at one end to the short arm 39 of the bell-crank Vlever and at its other end to vthe post 40,

u leased. Pivoted to the free end of the short arm 39 at y midway of its length is the (normally) horizontally-disposed companion lever 34, the forward end of which extends into the pathway of the coin-chute 13 a sufficient distance to close the discharging-opening 4l thereof. This forwardlyextending arm is provided with a longitudinally extending elongated slot 42, that registers with the chtiteopeniug 41, for the reception of a coin, thereby constituting a coin-receiving arm that is normally held in a closed position against the outlet of said chute by a sliding spring-actuated catch 43, which normally abuts against said chute and that is provided with an under shoulder 44, and that is mounted to move longitudinally on the coin-receiving arm at the inner end of the coin-receivingA slot, and which is thereby capable of varying the length of said slot by its longitudinal travel. The counterbalancingarm 45 of the lever 34 is provided at its end with a spring-controlled pawl-block 46, that normally swings loosely,

but which is permitted when the coin-receiving arm 34ZL is depressed and the counterbalancing-arm 45 is tilted upto engage with its toothed end 47 theinclined teeth 48 offthe segmental rack 49, that extends at a suitable angle to present its toothed trackv infan arcarranged concentrically tothe fulcrums of said lever-arms 15 and 34, and which when in engagement with the pawl prevents the retraction of the coin-depressed'lever until the spring-held pawl V46 has been vforced to travel step by step over the entire notched surface of the rack.

In order to govern therotation of the wheel 33 and` the drum 25, fast on the same shaft, andto allow them to move forward only upon the dropping into thecoin-receiving arm of a determinate coin, I provide the lower edge of the coin-receiving arm with a cut-away portion to form a slot or notch 50. The ac-l ti'on of the coin upon the aforesaid lever-arm in depressing the same has for its object to engage thesaid slot or notched portion-successively with the series of contact. pins or studs 51, that are rigidly secured and annularly arranged to project at proper intervals from the outer face of the actuating gearwheel 33, thereby forming a clutch mechanism to turn saidwheel a predetermined distance for the purpose set forth, and by reason of the undue inclination given to the coinreceiving lever when it reaches the limit of its downward ,travel'the coin carried thereby is made to strike a projecting lug 52m-the pocket. 53, and said coin is gently tipped out and dropped into the inclined channel or.y

groove 54, from which it inds its way into a money-box. (Not shown.)

Having given a mechanical description'ofA way described until it is arrested by the coinreceivingarm. If the coin is aproper one, the coin-receiving arm is depressed until it comes into operative position with the nearest projecting stud on the spur-gear33, and by pressing the operating-handle downward;V

said wheel is rotated to actuate the deliverydrum and turn it a predetermined distance to,l

vend a cigar. When the hand of the operating purchaser is released, the. operatinghaudle is returned by its controlling-spring to a normal position.

Having described my invention, what 14desire to claim as new and'useful isl. In anV apparatus of the class described` 'the combination of a conveyer adapted-to beV inserted in a lbox packed with merchandise articles and below the articles contained therein, with mechanism for operating said conveyer whereby the underlying articles are IIO f successively Withdrawn from said box, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a conveyer adapted to be inserted in a box packed with merchandise articles and below the articles contained therein, with mechanism for operating said conveyer, and a discharge-drum arranged adjacent to the forwardly-projecting end of said conveyer, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the class described the combination of a conveyer adapted to be inserted in a box packed with merchandise articles and below the articles contained therein, with mechanism for operating said conveyer, a discharge-drum arranged adjacent to the forwardly-projecting end of said conveyer, and a rocking gate arranged in the pathway of said oonveyer, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL MCLEOD VINANS. Witnesses:

ROBERT STEWART WVEED, CEAS. AVERY HICKEY. 

